Major changes in New Zealand showcase value of early learning professionals

The New Zealand Government has announced a funding review of the early childhood sector, a pay parity increase, and changes to home-based funding conditions.

 

The raft of early learning funding changes were announced late last week by Associate Education Minister Jo Luxton. 

 

A new funding rate will be introduced on 1 December to maintain full parity rates for early learning centres that choose to opt in, Ms Luxton explained. Services will be able to opt into the new pay parity funding rate for their certificated teachers from 1 November. 

 

The salary changes following on from the secondary teacher settlement will then be passed onto opted in services on 1 December. Full funding rate details will be published on the Ministry of Education’s website shortly.

 

This will see some pay increases from current salaries of up to $6,850 for those working in a teacher role, and $7,353 for those working in a management role.

 

“This builds on the Budget 2023 pay parity initiative which introduced a third set of opt-in funding rates for education and care teachers to be paid in line with the pre-settlement kindergarten salary steps from 1 November 2023,” Ms Luxton said.

 

“New Zealand is facing a tight fiscal environment and the Government needs to be responsible in its spending,” she continued. 

 

“Further salary increases after December 2023 to continue to maintain parity with school and kindergarten teachers as further settlement adjustments roll out in 2024 will therefore need to be determined in future budgets. That said, the introduction of the new rate as it stands will make a big difference in the pay of many of our hardworking early learning teachers.”

 

“This major step follows our Government in 2020 committing to move towards pay parity for certificated teachers in early childhood education (ECE) and care services with their kindergarten counterparts. The extra investment of over $450 million we’re making to meet this milestone follows the $909 million our Government has already committed to pay parity over the last four budgets.”

 

Review of the ECE funding model

 

Ms Luxton also made a commitment to a long-term, multi-year, funding review.

 

“It has been clear for a long time, our current ECE funding model is not serving the ECE sector well and is no longer fit for purpose,” she said.

 

“In my many conversations with the sector and in the submissions to the Pay Parity Funding Review Consultation, I’ve heard loud and clear that a funding review is something that the sector wants and knows is necessary.”

 

“Work on determining the shape and scope of the review will be done alongside the early learning sector and will begin in the next term of government.”

 

Changes to 20 hours ECE funding conditions for home-based services

 

Changes to the home-based care services (akin to family day care in Australia) system were also announced. 

 

“In Budget 2023, the Government announced that the 20 hours ECE subsidy will be extended to two-year-olds from 1 March 2024. This is an important initiative to help ease cost of living pressures for many parents of young children doing it tough,” Ms Luxton said.

 

“We recognised that home-based services faced specific issues with this change, and that is why the Government has now agreed that home-based educators may charge a nominal amount on top of the 20 hours ECE to support their income.”

 

The ‘top-up payments’ for home-based educators will have limits to ensure a good balance between affordability of ECE for parents and fairness for home-based educators,she continued.

 

“This change will come into effect on 1 March 2024. Families eligible for the Childcare Subsidy, the Guaranteed Childcare Assistance Payment, and Early Learning Payment from the Ministry of Social Development will be able to use these subsidies to help pay this new charge.” 

 

For more information, please see the Ministry of Education website.